To help the group understand the difference between pressure and stress also to identify ways to avoid creating stress in their lives.
Directions:
Ask the group if anybody knows the difference between pressure and stress. When are we under pressure and when are we under stress?
Solicit answers from the group, ask everyone who shared their responses
Ask everyone to pay attention and that you will be demonstrating something to them. Tell the group that you have a list of their names and will choose a random person from the list who will have to come up to the front of the room and sing a nursery tune/rhyme.
Pretend to look through the list to pick a name and suddenly tell the group to forget it and we will not be doing that.
Expect sounds of relief from the group.
Explain to the group that what you just did now was put them all under the same pressure, but for some of you they may have taken it a step further and turned it into stressful situation. Some of you may have got worried they couldn’t think of a nursery rhyme if they were picked, others may have secretly been hoping to get picked because they enjoy being in the spotlight. Whatever your felt, the pressure was the same for everyone, it’s up to you to turn it into stress or not. Pressure is external and stress is internal.
The 3 main stress areas are:
Internal stress: Worry
Environmental stress: Noise, Crowds, Work
Chronic stress: Overworked, too much going on at school, fatigue
Make the point that it’s very important to find an outlet for stress. Explain that our lives are like a bucket and stuff keeps going into the bucket. At some point the bucket will overflow – That exhibits itself as anger, crying, meltdowns, etc. So, in order to let stuff out, we need to punch some holes in the bucket.
Discuss further by asking the group to come up with suggestions of some activities they can do to relieve stress
